Eli Manning and the New York Giants saved their very best for the fourth quarter to emerge with an epic 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI Sunday in Indianapolis.
Christina Aguilera will be performing the National Anthem.
Andres Iniesta scored with four minutes of extra time remaining to give Spain a 1-0 win over the Netherlands and a first World Cup title. With the teams facing a penalty shootout in a game of few clear chances, Iniesta collected a sliding pass into the area from substitute Cesc Fabregas and smashed the ball across goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
Spain had the best of the play in a bruising game in which nine players were shown yellow cards by English referee Howard Webb in the first 90 minutes, a World Cup final record.
- Congrats SPAIN!
The final match which will then determine the World Champions kicks off today in South Africa! The grand finale will be The Netherlands vs. Spain. Neither country has ever won a World Cup, this is also Spain's first time in the finals. The Netherlands played the finals in 1974 and 1978 but lost both. Exciting game! Who are we all rooting for? I'm happy for whichever one wins, but I'll be extra happy if Spain wins it.
Hip-shaking Colombian superstar Shakira will perform the official tournament anthem — “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” — at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony this Sunday, July 12. The “Hips Don’t Lie” hitmaker also performed the song during a World Cup concert in Soweto on June 10.
Check out this shot of Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry at the Creative Aritst Agency Super Bowl party yesterday. Yes, that's Daughtry with hair. I don't think we've seen that look on the dude ever before.
It is good to see a team that has never been to a Super Bowl walk away with the win. Huge congrats to New Orleans and their champions The Saints for winning the Super Bowl XLIV. They do deserve it, they played an amazing game. Well done!Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed a Super Bowl record-tying 32 passes in 39 attempts for 288 yards and two touchdowns to claim Most Valuable Player honors in the National Football League's championship spectacle.
"We just believed in ourselves," Brees said. "We knew we had an entire city and maybe an entire country behind us. It was all meant to be. It was all destiny."
It was Tracy Porter's 74-yard interception return touchdown with 3:12 remaining that sealed the epic victory, one that had Saints fans in the stands chanting their cajun battle cry - "Who Dat Say Dey Gonna Beat Dem Saints?"
"Other teams have won championships. Our city needed this," Saints rusher Reggie Bush said. "That's what makes it special."
Just 4 1/2 years ago, the Saints' domed stadium became a house of horrors for those trapped by floodwaters and waiting in vain for help or rescue.
"You can't put it into words. The city and region have been through so much. They have been so supportive this whole time," said Saints receiver Marques Colston, who caught seven passes for 83 yards.
"We knew this as going to be a hard Super Bowl but we believed in each other and we got it done. It's incredible."
The Saints' victory touched off the biggest celebration of all in a city nicknamed "The Big Easy" and known for its Mardi Gras party scene.
"New Orleans is back and this showed the whole world," said Saints owner Tom Benson.
"We put this city on our back four years ago and now it's all worth it," Saints safety Roman Harper said.
The Saints, once laughing-stocks that Benson was looking to relocate, had been losers for most of their 43-year history and fell behind 10-0 to the Colts before bouncing back to deny Indianapolis a second title in four seasons.
"Everyone knows what the city has gone through," Saints defender Darren Sharper said. "That's what makes it special. They've wanted it for a long time."
Porter stepped in front of Colts receiver Reggie Wayne, picked off a pass from Indianapolis star Peyton Manning and returned it to the end zone to put the Saints ahead by the final margin.
"He made a great play," Manning said. "Porter just made a great play."
Manning, who had engineered an NFL-best seven victory comebacks in the fourth quarter this season, drove the Colts to the New Orleans 3-yard line but a fourth-down incompletion with 44 seconds to play sealed the Saints' triumph.
"Never got into a great rhythm," Manning said. "We were certainly worse in our final possession. Certainly it was disappointing."
Manning, whose father Archie was a former Saints star, completed 31-of-45 passes for 333 yards and a touchdown but one deadly interception.
Brees went 7-for-7 for 44 yards in marching the Saints 59 yards in 4:57 to give New Orleans the lead for good on a two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jeremy Shockey with 5:42 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Saints went for a two-point conversion pass that was ruled incomplete. New Orleans called for a video review and the call was overturned, Lance Moore being credited with possession in the end zone for a 24-17 Saints lead.
Manning entered and had moved Indianapolis to the New Orleans 31-yard line when Porter made the interception that sealed the victory.
New Orleans recovered an onside kick to begin the second half and Brees moved the Saints 58 yards in just six plays for their first lead at 13-10 on a 16-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Thomas only 3:19 into the third quarter.
"That was a bold move," Colts blocker Ryan Diem said. "The element of surprise got us."
The Colts answered with a four-yard touchdown run by Joseph Addai for a 17-13 lead 8:45 into the third quarter, but Garrett Hartley followed with his third field goal, a 47-yard effort, to pull New Orleans within 17-16.
Hartley hit field goals of 44 and 46 yards in the second quarter, pulling the Saints within 10-6 at half-time after the Colts took the lead on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Pierre Garcon and a 38-yard field goal by Matt Stover, the oldest player in Super Bowl history at age 42.
Carrie Underwood is going to the Super Bowl—and she’ll be singing the national anthem. The country superstar won’t be alone in singing America’s praises. Queen Latifah will perform “America the Beautiful” as well.
